Question 1

How much does a new roof cost?

Accepted Answer

We don't publish a figure, because the range is so wide that any number would mislead more than it helps — and your roofer has to honour whatever is quoted. The things that actually decide it are the size and complexity of the roof, the covering, the access, and what is found once the strip starts. A re-roof is the largest job most houses ever have, and it is the one where a made-up headline figure does the most damage. The range between a simple bungalow re-cover and a three-storey terrace in slate with a chimney and a highway scaffold is enormous, and quoting the low end to win attention is exactly how homeowners end up with a bill that bears no relation to what they agreed. So instead, here is what moves it, in roughly the order it matters. Access. A full strip needs a scaffold with proper edge protection, and where the property fronts the pavement — which the Macclesfield Character Assessment's description of silk-era terraces built 'hard up against the pavement edge' makes very common in this town — that scaffold stands on the highway and needs a chargeable licence from Cheshire East. On a tall, tight terrace this is a substantial line and it should be visible on the quote. The covering. Natural slate is slower to lay and more skilled than interlocking tile, because every slate is individually holed and nailed and every hip, valley and abutment is cut and dressed. Reclaimed slate to match costs more than new imported. Interlocking concrete tile covers ground fast and is the cheapest per square metre. Salvage. On a slate roof, most of the slates typically come off sound and go back on, which reduces the material cost considerably compared with new slate throughout. That is normal practice and it is worth asking any quote whether it assumes salvage or new. Complexity. Valleys, hips, dormers, chimneys, roof windows and abutments are all slower per square metre than a plain slope, and they are where the lead is. Two roofs of identical area can differ substantially on this alone. Compliance. Over 25% of the covering makes it notifiable under Part L, with an insulation upgrade duty and certification — either a Cheshire East building notice or a Competent Person Scheme roofer self-certifying. That is a real cost and a real benefit, and it should be in the quote rather than a surprise. And what is found. Rotten battens, a failed rafter foot, or a chimney that turns out to need attention are all things nobody can see until the covering comes off. A good quote says how those are handled — usually as a clearly-priced variation — rather than pretending the roof is fully known in advance.

Question 2

Cost of a re-roof

Accepted Answer

We don't publish a figure, because the range is so wide that any number would mislead more than it helps — and your roofer has to honour whatever is quoted. The things that actually decide it are the size and complexity of the roof, the covering, the access, and what is found once the strip starts. A re-roof is the largest job most houses ever have, and it is the one where a made-up headline figure does the most damage. The range between a simple bungalow re-cover and a three-storey terrace in slate with a chimney and a highway scaffold is enormous, and quoting the low end to win attention is exactly how homeowners end up with a bill that bears no relation to what they agreed. So instead, here is what moves it, in roughly the order it matters. Access. A full strip needs a scaffold with proper edge protection, and where the property fronts the pavement — which the Macclesfield Character Assessment's description of silk-era terraces built 'hard up against the pavement edge' makes very common in this town — that scaffold stands on the highway and needs a chargeable licence from Cheshire East. On a tall, tight terrace this is a substantial line and it should be visible on the quote. The covering. Natural slate is slower to lay and more skilled than interlocking tile, because every slate is individually holed and nailed and every hip, valley and abutment is cut and dressed. Reclaimed slate to match costs more than new imported. Interlocking concrete tile covers ground fast and is the cheapest per square metre. Salvage. On a slate roof, most of the slates typically come off sound and go back on, which reduces the material cost considerably compared with new slate throughout. That is normal practice and it is worth asking any quote whether it assumes salvage or new. Complexity. Valleys, hips, dormers, chimneys, roof windows and abutments are all slower per square metre than a plain slope, and they are where the lead is. Two roofs of identical area can differ substantially on this alone. Compliance. Over 25% of the covering makes it notifiable under Part L, with an insulation upgrade duty and certification — either a Cheshire East building notice or a Competent Person Scheme roofer self-certifying. That is a real cost and a real benefit, and it should be in the quote rather than a surprise. And what is found. Rotten battens, a failed rafter foot, or a chimney that turns out to need attention are all things nobody can see until the covering comes off. A good quote says how those are handled — usually as a clearly-priced variation — rather than pretending the roof is fully known in advance.

Question 3

What does re-roofing a terraced house cost?

Accepted Answer

We don't publish a figure, because the range is so wide that any number would mislead more than it helps — and your roofer has to honour whatever is quoted. The things that actually decide it are the size and complexity of the roof, the covering, the access, and what is found once the strip starts. A re-roof is the largest job most houses ever have, and it is the one where a made-up headline figure does the most damage. The range between a simple bungalow re-cover and a three-storey terrace in slate with a chimney and a highway scaffold is enormous, and quoting the low end to win attention is exactly how homeowners end up with a bill that bears no relation to what they agreed. So instead, here is what moves it, in roughly the order it matters. Access. A full strip needs a scaffold with proper edge protection, and where the property fronts the pavement — which the Macclesfield Character Assessment's description of silk-era terraces built 'hard up against the pavement edge' makes very common in this town — that scaffold stands on the highway and needs a chargeable licence from Cheshire East. On a tall, tight terrace this is a substantial line and it should be visible on the quote. The covering. Natural slate is slower to lay and more skilled than interlocking tile, because every slate is individually holed and nailed and every hip, valley and abutment is cut and dressed. Reclaimed slate to match costs more than new imported. Interlocking concrete tile covers ground fast and is the cheapest per square metre. Salvage. On a slate roof, most of the slates typically come off sound and go back on, which reduces the material cost considerably compared with new slate throughout. That is normal practice and it is worth asking any quote whether it assumes salvage or new. Complexity. Valleys, hips, dormers, chimneys, roof windows and abutments are all slower per square metre than a plain slope, and they are where the lead is. Two roofs of identical area can differ substantially on this alone. Compliance. Over 25% of the covering makes it notifiable under Part L, with an insulation upgrade duty and certification — either a Cheshire East building notice or a Competent Person Scheme roofer self-certifying. That is a real cost and a real benefit, and it should be in the quote rather than a surprise. And what is found. Rotten battens, a failed rafter foot, or a chimney that turns out to need attention are all things nobody can see until the covering comes off. A good quote says how those are handled — usually as a clearly-priced variation — rather than pretending the roof is fully known in advance.

Question 4

New roof price

Accepted Answer

We don't publish a figure, because the range is so wide that any number would mislead more than it helps — and your roofer has to honour whatever is quoted. The things that actually decide it are the size and complexity of the roof, the covering, the access, and what is found once the strip starts. A re-roof is the largest job most houses ever have, and it is the one where a made-up headline figure does the most damage. The range between a simple bungalow re-cover and a three-storey terrace in slate with a chimney and a highway scaffold is enormous, and quoting the low end to win attention is exactly how homeowners end up with a bill that bears no relation to what they agreed. So instead, here is what moves it, in roughly the order it matters. Access. A full strip needs a scaffold with proper edge protection, and where the property fronts the pavement — which the Macclesfield Character Assessment's description of silk-era terraces built 'hard up against the pavement edge' makes very common in this town — that scaffold stands on the highway and needs a chargeable licence from Cheshire East. On a tall, tight terrace this is a substantial line and it should be visible on the quote. The covering. Natural slate is slower to lay and more skilled than interlocking tile, because every slate is individually holed and nailed and every hip, valley and abutment is cut and dressed. Reclaimed slate to match costs more than new imported. Interlocking concrete tile covers ground fast and is the cheapest per square metre. Salvage. On a slate roof, most of the slates typically come off sound and go back on, which reduces the material cost considerably compared with new slate throughout. That is normal practice and it is worth asking any quote whether it assumes salvage or new. Complexity. Valleys, hips, dormers, chimneys, roof windows and abutments are all slower per square metre than a plain slope, and they are where the lead is. Two roofs of identical area can differ substantially on this alone. Compliance. Over 25% of the covering makes it notifiable under Part L, with an insulation upgrade duty and certification — either a Cheshire East building notice or a Competent Person Scheme roofer self-certifying. That is a real cost and a real benefit, and it should be in the quote rather than a surprise. And what is found. Rotten battens, a failed rafter foot, or a chimney that turns out to need attention are all things nobody can see until the covering comes off. A good quote says how those are handled — usually as a clearly-priced variation — rather than pretending the roof is fully known in advance.

How much does a new roof cost?

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